Time to Flush the Snakes!
This is what MLB Players live for. This is where legends are made and failures are lamented. This is why they play the game. This, my friends, is called a Pennant Race. May the best horse win. No Snakes allowed! I have said for quite some time that this Dodger team is built for the Post-Season. I might add that it is also built for a pennant race that is
This is what MLB Players live for. This is where legends are made and failures are lamented. This is why they play the game. This, my friends, is called a Pennant Race. May the best horse win. No Snakes allowed! I have said for quite some time that this Dodger team is built for the Post-Season. I might add that it is also built for a pennant race… that is with two assumptions: #1: I assume that Kenley Jansen will be healthy (mentally and physically); and #2: I assume Chicken Strip will be dealing with Spicy Mustard. We will see how mentally strong Kenley is, and if he recovers from the bad streak, it could make him even better. Adversity will make you or break you! I think Kenley will make this a stepping stone and not a stumbling block.
You may say that is “wishful thinking” and you would be correct – it is! The Dodgers won’t be successful without Kenley! I think that is just the way it is, so that is what I am wishing for, but with Chicken Strip, Maeda, Baez, Alexander and Floro pitching out of the pen, he should not be asked to do that multi-inning thing often… if at all. Wow! Floro has been a real find for the Dodgers, hasn’t he? In 20 IP, he has struck out 24, has a 1.74 ERA, .87 WHIP and the league is hitting .153 against him. Erik Goeddel has also been very solid this season. I think Julio Urias will be up soon, even though Roberts said he wants him to be able to pitch back-to-back. I do not think he should do that. Let him pitch when he can… don’t push it.
I am feeling very good about the pitching right about now. I’ll feel even better when/if Kenley is back on his game. The Dodgers are far-and-away the best pitching team in the NL and even with their struggles offensively, they are barely behind the Cubs in runs scored… and I am going to go out on a limb: September will be the FIRST month of this season where the Dodgers post a “Positive Clutch” stat! Why do I say that? WAG!
Puig Flies: According to MLB.com: Puig went from home to third in 11.02 seconds, the second-fastest time for a Dodgers player since Statcast™ began tracking in 2015. The only faster time was Carl Crawford’s 10.72 seconds on April 27, 2015. Puig also had a sprint speed of 29.5 feet-per-second on the play.
In case you are old enough to remember:
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Discussion (101)
Disagree, not disagreeable
More – Dodger Hitters Verses Ray:
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Bellinger – .167
Dozier – .400
Kemp – .429
Kike – .269
Taylor – .438
Maybe it works. But let’s take a look at the August offensive numbers for the starters:
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Dozier – .223/.364/.433/.797
JT – .396/.481/.703/1.184
Machado – .265/.315/.490/.806
Kemp – .197/.280/.273/.553
Kike’ – .333/.400/.510/.910
CT3 – .195/.284/.338/.622
Puig – .271/.311/.457/.768
Barnes – .111/.360/.167/.527
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Look at two of the LHH reserves for tonight:
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Cody – .368/.429/.563/.992
Max – .273/.355/.673/1.028
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By inserting two LHH who are having a much much much better August for Kemp and Taylor, you get two better bats, and you do not allow Robbie Ray to pitch to one spot against an all RHH team. He finds the spot, he does not have to move.
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We will never know which lineup would be more productive, so all we can do is hope that Kemp and CT3 can produce some offense tonight.
I said it earlier and I will repeat what AC said as well, the current Taylor and Kemp should not be in this lineup, Cody and Muncy should be.
I was thinking the same as AC.
And Muncy hits lefties more then a few players in this line up.
And I always like to see Cody in the line up too, especially since he has been so good in August.
Dozier has good numbers against Ray, but he hasn’t hit lefties since he has came over here, either.
Here’s my point:
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There is no wrong or right answer.
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The the Dodgers beat the hell out of Ray tonight, does that mean I am right? NO!
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… and if Ray shuts them out, does that mean you are right? NO!
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There are so many variables.
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AC could be right – maybe it’s best to have a few lefties…
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I just don’t know.
Mark that was a different Taylor then the current version who swing through straight 90mph fastballs with regularity.
Kemp has similar numbers against Ray but has been overmatched all second half and should be playing a couple times a week, and not game 1 of this series. First at bat was an indicator of how far off he is.
If Puig gets to three balls it’s a good at bat
Rumor of mccutcheon to nyy
Dozier gets the first hit, but should not be playing?
Damn Turner should not be playing – he’s hitting .202 against Ray!
See, you can spin this however you want!
Damn Kemp should be on the bench. He can’t hit Ray!
Kike can’t hit this guy either…
Let’s get his pitch count up
Different day, same story…CT3 with another K!
You were right about Taylor… so far.
I have no faith in Puig right now
Dodgers 5 baserunners in 4 innings – 0 for 4 RISP.
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Hill looks good.
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Kemp should not be playing right now. In the last 30 games, he’s hitting .191 with 20 K vs. 10 H and 1 HR.
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They have to figure out some way to get Muncy’s bat in the lineup. He doesn’t have big splits LHP vs. RHP(.985 OPS vs SHP; .968 OPS vs. RHP).
Welcome to playing a real team again. Real teams like this get 2 out big hits, whereas crap like SD and Tex don’t. Coming back in this one would be gigantic!
Lack of fundamentals cost us, Robert’s cost us with this lineup.
I like Taylor, but he needs to sit. We really do not have one outfielder that is hitting right now. We need Toles and Verdugo badly. I can only hope they will be in the line up on Saturday.
Another solo HR. Boy, they let Ray off the hook. He had no command early and they could have knocked him out. He got himself right and has looked tough. Bad hitting again.
On a positive note, Austin Barnes got a hit! Can anyone tell me the last time that happened
Hate to be right, but said it before the game, Robert’s cost is the game with this lineup with kemp in the 4 hole and Taylor
Dodgers – 15ks. 0 for with RISP.
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Taylor hitting .188 before tonight with 32 k in last 88 AB – last 30 games. Add tonight’s golden sombrero and it’s 36 K in last 90 AB. He shouldn’t be playing. Neither should Kemp. his GIDP in the 8th was a killer.
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Roberts needs to run a regular lineup out there and give them a chance to get into a rhythm.